{"id":55776,"date":"2020-08-11T11:44:31","date_gmt":"2020-08-11T16:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=55776"},"modified":"2021-08-30T03:06:42","modified_gmt":"2021-08-30T03:06:42","slug":"lazar-patriots-dropping-clues-for-new-look-offense-with-lamar-miller-signing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=55776","title":{"rendered":"Lazar: Patriots Dropping Clues For New-Look Offense With Lamar Miller Signing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Patriots quarterback Cam Newton and newly acquired running back Lamar Miller have something in common besides joining New England\u2019s offense this offseason.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both first-year Patriots come with major injury caveats that, amidst excitement about the signings, leaves us all saying, \u201cyes, they could be great\u00a0<\/span>if<\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span>they stay healthy.<\/span><\/em>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After staying healthy for six consecutive seasons, Miller missed the entire 2019 campaign after tearing his ACL during Houston\u2019s preseason game against Dallas last August.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 29-year-old is now nearly a full year removed from the injury, and structurally, his surgically repaired knee is healed, but he\u2019ll need to prove that his explosiveness is all the way back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If he returns to his 2018 form, Miller was a viable NFL starter for the Texans that accumulated over 1,100 scrimmage yards in his last healthy season as RB28 in Football Outsiders\u2019 rankings and RB24 in PFF grade.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following a deep-dive into Miller\u2019s tape, what stood out the most wasn\u2019t necessarily his play. Instead, Bill O\u2019Brien\u2019s adaptation of the Patriots\u2019 Erhardt-Perkins offense for quarterback Deshaun Watson was the draw.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Miller fits the scheme as an explosive 4.34 guy, and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and his staff can use Houston\u2019s offense as a source of inspiration this season as they adapt the scheme to Newton.<\/span><\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien\u2019s offense still uses option routes, route conversations, and sight adjustments in its traditional drop-back passing game, but now there are packages and play designs tailored to Watson\u2019s mobility, something the Pats staff is working on doing with Newton.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels explained last week, O\u2019Brien didn\u2019t install an entirely new offense for Watson but rather adapted his scheme to magnify Watson\u2019s strengths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not changing your system. It\u2019s adapting your system to the talents and strengths of your players,\u201d McDaniels said. \u201cIt\u2019s [mobile quarterbacks] certainly not something I\u2019m accustomed to using a great deal, but you use whatever strengths of your players that are on the field allow you to use.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In Houston, adapting meant installing an RPO package (ten percent of plays), zone and gap-read runs that feature Watson\u2019s running abilities, and a fantastic naked bootleg series out of a full house formation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Along with specialized packages that amplify Watson\u2019s athleticism, the Texans also feature an under center bootleg series off of wide zone action, and a higher volume of deep throws.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Miller accumulated over 2,400 yards playing alongside Watson from 2016-2018, and the signing feels like the Pats are dropping hints about where the offense is heading with Newton.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

UNDER CENTER PLAYS<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s start with a more traditional setup that puts Watson under center running both gap\/power and zone blocking concepts leading to quite a few explosive runs for Miller.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since entering the league in 2012, the speedster is the only running back in the league with two rushes of 90-plus yards, and the last one came against the Tennessee Titans in 2018.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n